Posts Tagged ‘spirituality’

This is inspiration is from a blog I found on Tumblr, the user’s name is yaboikool. I’m new to tumblr so, I don’t really get how to use/search it yet! But I like this guy. Here’s what he had to say:

spiritualinspiration:

It’s one thing to know that you’re going into a challenging season. You get prepared for it. You get mentally ready. But what about the difficulties that we don’t see coming? The unexpected crisis that catches us off-guard? Sometimes, it can seem so overwhelming that it almost knocks the wind right out of us. The Scripture says that we shouldn’t be surprised by fiery trials. That’s because the forces of darkness would not be fighting against you if they didn’t know that God has something amazing in your future! Sometimes, those unexpected difficulties are just a sign that you’re on the right track. It’s always darkest just before the dawn appears. The enemy always fights the hardest when you are closest to your breakthrough. The key is to stay the course and keep fighting the good fight of faith. Keep your joy and keep declaring God’s Word over your future. God has promised that you will overcome every obstacle. You will defeat every enemy, and right now, I declare that you will fulfill your destiny in Jesus’ name

What if you got up this morning and saw all of these gifts in your living room? Would you open them? Or would you ignore them, figuring they weren’t for you? Would you walk away and forget them? Would you get mad and call them clutter? Would you be angry because they were small boxes? Or wrapped with red paper instead of green paper? Or because you thought your neighbor’s gifts were prettier?

The Lord’s piled up the blessings in your life waaaaay higher and wider than the stack in this picture. When will you start opening them?

Receive them, enjoy them! You know..you don’t have to deserve, or be good enough, for gifts. Gifts are just another word for blessings. Gifts and blessings both involve grace. His grace is a gift. His blessings are a gift. His love is a gift. They’re yours, always. But that doesn’t mean you have to accept them. You can let them pile up if you want. You can ignore them. You can determine to believe they aren’t yours. It’s completely up to you.

I encourage you to stop and look around today. Are there gifts you’ve left unopened? Are there any gifts you’ve refused to accept because you didn’t feel worthy?

Change that today!

You have been accepted into the family of Grace. Your name is allllll over those gifts, friend! So reach out, grab them, open them, claim them as yours, and give thanks!

You may have been told you were worthless your whole life. That you are a failure. That you’ll never amount to anything. That you’re unwanted, ugly, stupid..fill in the blank. You may have been unpopular. You may have been bullied, made fun of, or laughed at due to your appearance or your beliefs or interests – and that made you feel unloved.

If that was you, here’s what I want you to know:

Those labels are all lies.

Take a look at these scriptures:

Psalm 139:14
The Voice (emphasis added)
14 I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe.
You have approached even the smallest details with excellence;
Your works are wonderful;
I carry this knowledge deep within my soul.

1 Peter 2:9
The Voice (emphasis added)
9 But you are a chosen people, set aside to be a royal order of priests, a holy nation, God’s own; so that you may proclaim the wondrous acts of the One who called you out of inky darkness into shimmering light.

Luke 12:6-7 ESV (emphasis added)
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Isaiah 43:4a (emphasis added)
Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.

Isaiah 49:16
The Voice (emphasis added)
16 Look here. I have made you a part of Me, written you on the palms of My hands.Your city walls are always on My mind, always My concern.

He loved you yesterday, He loves you today, He’ll love you tomorrow, and forevermore.

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. – Galatians 6:4-5

It’s not about what everyone else has. It’s not about how much “holier” they are than you. It’s not about how much more accomplished they are. It’s not about how much happier their marriage is. It’s not about how their kids are better behaved than yours. It’s not about how they still have a job and you don’t. It’s not about how they’re healthy and you’re not.

It’s really not about them at all. It’s about you, Him, and the work He’s called you to do.

If we are focused on our relationship with Him, we won’t find the need to compare ourself, or our life, with anyone else’s.

Where’s your focus today?

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Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own struggles, goals, wants, and needs that we forget about others. So I want to encourage you today to spend some time taking your thoughts off of yourself, and instead placing them with someone else. How can you serve someone today? What could you do to bring them either to Jesus, or closer to Jesus? You are a person of great value, and you can help to change someone’s life. So, go on now, get started! :0)

My love to you all,

Sarah

* Side note: Please continue to pray for my brother, Matt. I know I haven’t updated you in quite awhile, but prayers are still greatly needed and appreciated. Thank you!

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve . . .—Matthew 20:28

Jesus also said, “Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:27). Paul’s idea of service was the same as our Lord’s— “. . . ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). We somehow have the idea that a person called to the ministry is called to be different and above other people. But according to Jesus Christ, he is called to be a “doormat” for others— called to be their spiritual leader, but never their superior. Paul said, “I know how to be abased . . .” (Philippians 4:12). Paul’s idea of service was to pour his life out to the last drop for others. And whether he received praise or blame made no difference. As long as there was one human being who did not know Jesus, Paul felt a debt of service to that person until he did come to know Him. But the chief motivation behind Paul’s service was not love for others but love for his Lord. If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another.

Paul’s understanding of how Christ had dealt with him is the secret behind his determination to serve others. “I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man . . .” (1 Timothy 1:13). In other words, no matter how badly others may have treated Paul, they could never have treated him with the same degree of spite and hatred with which he had treated Jesus Christ. Once we realize that Jesus has served us even to the depths of our meagerness, our selfishness, and our sin, nothing we encounter from others will be able to exhaust our determination to serve others for His sake.

My brother, Matt, finally got to go home from the hospital yesterday!! He’s been eating for a few days now with no adverse effects, so that is awesome! He will still have the PIC line in for about a month I think, for added nutrition, but he’s improving lots and lots. Praise God, He is good all the time! I know you will continue to stand with me in prayer over his full recovery, and I thank you for that! I’ve had two people in the past few days tell me that this has been like the walls of Jericho..and those walls are finally tumbling down. Love that!

Now, I have to go to the dentist. I always tell him I love him, but I never want to see him again! Here’s hoping for zero cavities in my pearly whites! 🙂

Happy Thursday everyone, no matter what obstacles you face, choose to make it a great day! I believe in you!

Now to the God who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us, to Him be all glory in the church and in Jesus the Anointed from this generation to the next, forever and ever. Amen
Ephesians 3:20-21

You are blessed,

Sarah

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I'm on a never ending journey of spiritual growth. I'm a bit (a lot) sarcastic, with a dry sense of humor. I enjoy raw, real conversations. The truth of who we are is so much better than the charade!
I'm a wife and mom, and I love it! My life is busy, fulfilling, and challenging. It's been about ups and downs, twists and turns, stagnation and growth. Today, I choose growth above bathing in the chaos of stagnation.
Most importantly, I'm forever in love with my Savior, and want to encourage you to grow in Him. Knowing that He adores you, and has a great plan for your life. You're never alone, there's no pit deep enough that the touch of Grace can't reach down and pull you out.
I look forward to hearing from you!

Trust me, I've been there, I've looked, I've searched and I know now, that there are no answers to be found in the bottom of a bottle or on the edge of a blade! Fighting Hard, Recovering, Rebuilding, REBORN. Moving on from addiction to a new life.

Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”